How to Identify an Antique Cameo

Cameos can be made from various materials: shell, stone, coral, lava, plastic, glass or ivory. Simple designs and more intricate settings can be found and we offer a selection for you to choose from at Laurelle Antique Jewellery. Because the layers are relatively thin, and the strong colour occurs mainly on the lip of the shell, multiple pieces were often built up to create a high relief cameo effect. Heat a sewing needle over a small flame or under running water, then poke the needle into the cameo. This combined with a gradual change in fashion led to the production of brooches and bracelets that were less massive and with a more restrained use of indigenous motifs than at the height of the gold rush in the 1850s and 1860s.

Antique Cameos: Cameo Brooches & Rings

Examine the cameo for surface paint or enamel chips. It used to be that you knew that if your cameo was hand carved from shell, agate, marble, coral or precious gemstones. The next is to hit it against your teeth. Hard resins are fairly chip-resistant, though. We need to consider also the condition of the material, shell is more subject to deterioration than hardstones or coral, so a shell cameo may look older than a hardstone cameo of the same period. A real shell cameo should have a matte appearance rather than a glossy one. Plastic and glass cameos tend to be set in heavy base metals.

Antique and Vintage Cameo Pendants

The cameo is a very elegant piece of jewelry that has recently come back into fashion, but due to its popularity, there are more realistic imitations nowadays than ever before. Look at the direction of the face. Use a strong magnifying glass to look for marks. This sparked a big increase in the number of cameos that were carved from shells. Do not strike the piece against your teeth too hard since doing so could damage your tooth or the cameo.

Antique Rarest Cameos : Simply The Best Antique Museum Quality Cameos and Corals on The Web..

I have a cameos web site, I think it is lovely, email me to know its address and after you can take a look, maybe there you can find the cameo of your dreams! If you think you have a shell cameo, check the setting for a quality mark indicating the item's gold content. Modern cameos are also often poorly carved and show little attention to detail. Saulini found patronage among the aristocracy across Europe, and in 1860, moved to London to engrave portraits of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The paint itself will probably be faded and show some signs of wear if it is authentic, even though there shouldn't be too many scratches. Our one of a kind settings are created by the best Jewelry Designers in the world including our in house Jewelry Designer Preston Reuther Master Wire Sculptor. Real cameos were made to last, so the design should be fairly intact. These areas are generally a little cooler than the palm of your hand and may give you a more accurate indication.

How to Identify Real Cameo Jewelry

There is also a variety of materials used for cameo carvings, choose from hard stone Onyx or Agate , Helmut shell varies from beige to brown , Queen Conch Shell white to pale pink and Coral white, pink, salmon, orange and red. The Victorian era saw a renewed interest in classics and many cameos from that time featured Greek gods and goddesses from mythology. . Torre del Greco is the historical capital of the cameos and of coral, the best cameos in the world are carved there, my birthtown has been known world wide since Roman times for the outstanding quality of its cameo and coral craftsmanship. The quality of the carving is the first thing that must be seen.

How to Value and Date Your Vintage Cameo

We do have antique cameos here that have lost there settings years ago and we have given them new life by creating a unique setting to show off their beauty. If the cameo is made from real shell, you should feel a slight concave or curve. Jet was not used until the 19th century. Cameos have been in existence since ancient times; a cameo made from agate, dated from around 332 B. The present cameo takes its design from a statue of Menelaus supporting the body of his fallen comrade Patroclus from the Iliad, displayed alongside works by Cellini and Giambologna in the courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence.

Antique and Vintage Cameo Pendants

To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. As a result, this is not a foolproof test when done on its own. An authentic cameo will shine when you move it into the light. Know which materials are most authentic. If not acquired on a visit to Italy, the parure may have been purchased from one of the importers of Neapolitan jewellery in London such as the Bond Street firm of Robert Phillips, who exhibited work from Naples at the London International Exhibition of 1862. The larger elements are riveted to a gold wire frame, from which the smaller elements are suspended. Authentic cameos made from stones will not have this feature.

How to Identify Real Cameo Jewelry

Expect to see faded colors, a few light scratches in the paint, and other signs of wear. Fakes are rare, but there is always the possibility to find one. The more valuable ones are made from gold, although there are some made from base metals that are not going to be of high value. Inspect the front of the cameo with a very strong magnifying glass or jeweler's loupe. Here at Laurelle Antique Jewellery we have a beautiful and impressive collection of cameo jewellery for you to admire and invest in. Cameo image by Microdac from Antique cameos are beautiful works of art, as well as jewelry.